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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · wound · march · cap · roll · patient · current · chest

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. roll — a list
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. current — happening now
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. current — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stand — to bear
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. roll — a cake
  21. march — the month
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chest — a box
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com